April 21, 2015

Earth Day Alert: How Shred-it’s Recycling Process Keeps Your Workplace Green

Office paper recycling is one of the easiest and most common ways a workplace can help protect the environment and celebrate Earth Day.

But does your recycling process also protect confidential information?

With the risk of security breaches at an all-time high, it’s important that every workplace prioritizes data security, while making a commitment to green office strategies and initiatives such as Earth Day.

Earth Day was first introduced in 1970. It has always been celebrated on April 22 but has grown to become a year-round movement with tens of thousands of partners in more than 192 countries.

The event provides organizations with a great opportunity to promote and expand green strategies. Shredded paper recycling, for example, saves trees.

But the real win-win comes when a workplace partners with a reliable information destruction company that provides a secure chain of custody from start to finish.

Here are a few ways that Shred-it combines recycling and information security:

• All open and unsecured paper recycling bins in the workplace are replaced with Shred-it supplied locked consoles. Benefits: Unsecured paper recycling bins are an easy target for fraudsters and dumpster divers to steal confidential information. Shred-it’s consoles have beveled slots to ensure documents cannot be retrieved. Plus, locked consoles help create a culture of security in the workplace.
• A Shred-all Policy is recommended for all workplaces.
  Benefits: Research shows that many data breaches are caused by simple human error. When the decision is made to shred all documents that are no longer needed, employees don't have to decide which are confidential and which aren't.
• During regular scheduled pickup service, security-vetted staff collect and empty consoles.
  Benefits: Clients are assured that personnel who handle confidential documents have received extension security awareness training as well as a Certified Information Security Professional designation.
• Paper documents are securely shredded using proprietary cross-cut shredder technology.
  Benefits: Cross-cutting is the most efficient method of completely destroying the confidential information.
• The entire process is tracked with a hand-held scanning device and a Certificate of Destruction is issued after every shred. Benefits: The certificate is proof of destruction and allows customers to keep track of document destruction for compliance and other document management purposes.
• Shred-it bales shredded paper and sends it to a paper mill where it is transformed into pulp. Impurities and printing ink are removed and then the pulp is used to manufacture new paper products. Benefits: A single ton of recycled paper can yield significant environmental benefits, including reducing carbon emissions, saving trees, and cutting back on water use.

Make your business greener and more secure by following these other easy green office strategies.